Today, my dog and I went on an outing to a new natural space in the nearby forest. While it was a short outing, my curiosity is always met with a new-found joy in visiting spaces [I’ve/we’ve] never walked before.

It’s a flood plain where cottonwoods are content to grow. It’s also a space where deer and elk like to lay. We found several signs of depressed vegetation within this sweet place. With multiple nooks and hidden clearings within and beneath layered trees, I imagined elk resting in placed right beneath my feet.

I met a particular cottonwood whom I decided to greet and honor for a moment. While there were multiple cottonwoods in the areas, even some larger her, this was the one that caught my wandering spirit’s attention.

I looked upon her thick splitting bark, then up to her glorious overstory.

Being a floodplain there were no paths except for subtle ones made by wandering deer and elk. The forest floor, uniquely varied by thick riparian grasses, fallen debris of limbs and by several dips and swales where water had least resistance to push its way through the diverse entanglement.

Some toppled trees made for interesting exploring in deep basins, walled on one side by massive exposed roots; sometimes almost hidden by a dusting or two; or three or more, of fallen leaf litter from seasons before.

A clearing of large depressions show my imaginations eye, where several resting elk and deer would be.

Not exactly wanting to leave, we left with a brighter exuberance, radiating excitement exaggerated by my dog’s pants as we drove away to fulfill a scheduled engagement with a friend.

I thanked the new special space for its existence and ability to renew my being.

Thank you for honoring this space with me.